10 Things We Learned From Dark Side Of The Ring: Big Boss Man
2. Curt Hennig’s Death Briefly Changed Things
Curt Hennig's death aged just 44 in 2003 gave Ray Traylor quite the shake.
He got a real fright when Mr. Perfect passed away. The pair were great friends away from the ring, and it hit him hard. Around that same time, he’d actually separated from Angela because she’d reached her “breaking point” with the pill addiction. Afterwards, they reconciled and got back together. The couple renewed their vows and started again.
Angela described that as “perfect’, somewhat ironically. Ray maintained sobriety despite the pain he was still going through, which is admirable. That had to be hellish, but he was more than determined to kick the habit into touch and be the loving husband and father his family needed. Even pics from Ray and Angela renewing their vows show a man who's beaten down by constant pain.
It's depressing to see, but at least they had some semblance of happiness back in their lives after you-know-what had hit the fan. Hennig's demise jolted Boss Man and made him re-prioritise what he wanted from his life. Angela was heartened by his honesty, but she also knew how agonising it would be for him to watch Curt (an outwardly fit guy with decades ahead of him) fall.
Traylor booted the pills away and doubled down on recovery. Tragically, he wouldn't get the chance to enjoy the fruits of that toil for too much longer. He was gone as well the very next year. 2004 was when things really went south for a family who'd come back together.